The bergamot harvesting campaign in the Italian region of Calabria
has just begun. This citrus fruit is used not only to enrich dishes but also a precious health ally.
Authoritative scientific publications have established its beneficial effect on lowering bad cholesterol and the risk of diabetes.
The fruit has been on sale in the main fruit and vegetable markets and on the shelves of the large-scale retail trade for around 15 days now.
"Expectations are high again this year. However, the Unionberg growers' association, the only one recognized by the regional government of Calabria, has never anticipated the supply schedule," said President Ezio Pizzi (in the photo on the left).
It is more important for us to protect the high quality of the fruit by making it available only when it is ready for harvest. In this way, we can guarantee a good juice quality and an adequate Brix level, Otherwise, we would be ahead of the market for speculative purposes only,” stressed Pizzi.
The 2021 campaign and the climate change This year's campaign will undoubtedly be conditioned by the climate changes. The citrus crop will tend to be medium-sized, due to the particularly hot climate which has reached peaks of 43 degrees during the summer months.
However, one thing is guaranteed and that is that this year's bergamots will be of excellent quality. Furthermore, although production is estimated to have fallen by around 20% compared to the previous harvest year, this should not worry the sector as of today, around 15% of the total production of the fruit is absorbed by the fresh fruit and vegetable segment.
The remaining part continues to be used for the extraction of essential oil for the finest perfumes in the world.
The trend generated by the increasing interest in the fruit of the bergamot of Reggio Calabria on the markets of Northern Europe (Germany, France, Sweden, Holland, Belgium, England) is even more remarkable, with the hope that Covid-19 will not place further logistical obstacles.
Organic farming for Unionberg O.P. bergamots 
The Reggio Calabria bergamot fruits distributed by Unionberg O.P. come directly from approximately 380 member farms.
“The work in fields carried out by our agronomists and their feedback provide guidelines on good agricultural practices, respectful of the environment, to be applied, and on the type of fertilization and treatments, if necessary, to be carried out only with products authorized in organic farming,” explained the Producers' Organisation.
"Thanks to this meticulous practice, the skin can be eaten, which means that the whole fruit can be used safely. The high-quality standards are guaranteed by quality control, the application of a product specification, combined with integrated production systems, validated by product, traceability and environmental impact certificates."
"The imperfections of the skin are well tolerated by users who have fully understood that the product has been produced in a way that is totally free of dangerous pesticides".
Long shelf life and high quality
An important aspect is the presence of the so-called crown (the end of the stem), which guarantees its shelf life and guarantees that the citrus fruit has been harvested by using special scissors and that each bergamot has been carefully handled when cut from the tree.
It is not uncommon to come across bergamots in markets which have been torn from the plants and are actually destined for the processing industries but sold for fresh consumption.
“This practice is detrimental to the sector, because in addition to bringing to the consumer's table a product destined for processing, it also causes economic damage to the producer, who is paid a lower price than if the fruit had been correctly removed from the tree and used for the purpose for which it was harvested. This allows impromptu traders to undersell the product which, apart from being poorly treated, will only have a shelf life of a few days at a price that is far too low, said Ezio Pizzi, president of Unionberg.
Certified achievements in brand and sustainability Another important milestone for Unionberg O.P. is the brand awareness that guarantees the origin and quality of the product.
In addition to the classic traditional fruit with edible peel, the range of products supplied also includes the organic fruit certified by CSQA - IT Bio 021, GlobalGAP and Grasp, certified by Agroqualità, as well as products from a production chain that comply with regulatory standards for sustainability.
"Major steps have been taken in this direction to achieve the first and only sustainable Bergamot supply chain named Unionberg O.P. and certified by CSQA, with the inclusion of the first hundred farms whose production has already been declared sustainable by the current harvesting campaign," stressed Pizzi.
"Climate change is now a reality that we all have to deal with, and our farms are committed to an agriculture that respects nature and environmental resources. Water, biodiversity and soil are precious resources for the future of Bergamots. Unionberg O.P. has chosen to work with genuinely sustainable companies to promote good practices and projects, thanks to the use of environmentally friendly ingredients. We owe it to the ecosystem and to the consumer, who is increasingly attentive and responsible. We owe it to ourselves and to our history," concluded Pizzi.
For more information:
Unionberg O.P.
Via Rodinò, 11
89030 Condofuri (RC)
Presidente Avv. Ezio Pizzi - +39 335 8322313
Resp. commerciale - +39 335 6410010
[email protected]
